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Deloitte was retained to prepare a comparative assessment of the ‘low-carbon’ performance of Canada relative to other G8 countries, China, Australia and Norway. The objective of the benchmarking exercise was to understand Canada’s position relative to other comparator countries in areas deemed important to Canada’s national ability to compete and succeed in a global low-carbon economy. This report describes the approach undertaken by Deloitte to design and execute the benchmarking study, and presents the preliminary findings. Indicator definitions and draft scoring results for three weighting scenarios are provided as companion files to this document. The electronic database containing source data, formulas and scoring results is also provided as a companion file to this document.

This paper sets the stage for discussions on the health and competitiveness of Canadian cities within a global context. Specifically, the purpose of the research is to compare legislative and fiscal powers of the U.S. and Canadian municipal governments as well as financing mechanisms for municipal infrastructure in Canada, the U.S., and Europe.

This delivery plan descibes the deliverables, budget and scope of the Building Sustainable Enterprises Project. It also outlines the roles and responsibilities of the partner organizations for project implementation and delivery. In addition, the delivery plan forms the basis for agreements between the Funding Partners, the NRTEE and Five Winds International.

The purpose of this report is to enable the Substances of Concern (SOC) Working Group to select the “substances of concern” and EFR instruments for detailed economic and policy analysis. Selection is based on previous analysis, meeting discussions and input from the SOC Working Group: In November 2001, a “Scan of EFR Instruments for Managing Substances of Concern” was presented to and discussed within the Working Group; In February 2002, the Working Group met to discuss the potential for both positive and negative EFR instruments to manage SOCs and to understand the appropriate points for applying potential instruments (i.e. to Schedule 1 substance, PSL substance or as early as “candidate for assessment” substance); and - In April 2002, the Working Group reviewed a range of Substances of Concern to select for potential case study topics. They focused in on three for further consideration: Mercury; Short chain chlorinated paraffins; and Smog precursors (nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds).

This is the first of a three-part case study report highlighting a range of management objectives that would promote the conservation of natural capital within the Alberta- Pacific Forest Industries (Al-Pac) Forest Management Area (FMA) in northeastern Alberta. The discussion of management objectives provides the basis for the subsequent examination of institutional and fiscal barriers to achieving these objectives and policy options for promoting them. The specific questions examined are: What key conservation values should be promoted in the Al-Pac FMA? What indicators of natural capital correspond to these conservation values, and what human activities affect these indicators? And finally, what specific management objectives for land-uses in the Al-Pac FMA could be adopted to promote the conservation of natural capital?

This document summarizes Canadian indicator work and data sources for the Water Resources Cluster Group (WRCG). This includes information on water resources and fresh water fisheries. The report is based on a survey of indicator and data sources that may assist in developing a set of water indicators under the NRTEE’s Environment and Sustainable Development Indicators (ESDI) initiative. The survey broadly identifies the scope of data and indicators available, and then focuses in on indicators and data that may be of interest to the WRCG.

This report provides preliminary guidance to the NRTEE in determining the potential benefits & risks associated with pursuing a number of indicators-based initiatives aimed at advancing the goal of the proposed Urban Sustainability Program. The report pays particularly attention to the Program's proposed Track 2, focusing on the development of indicators of criteria related to urban sustainability, livability and competitiveness.

The following report provides a summary of key pieces of environmental legislation and illustrates the learning curve the U.S. has undergone in regulating environmental conduct over the last 30 years. This is not an exhaustive analysis of environmental law but a concise summary that provides a baseline for understanding why the brownfield process has become a desired mechanism for redeveloping environmentally impaired properties in the U.S., and how other environmental regulatory programs are beginning to incorporate the fundamentals used in brownfield redevelopment projects.

In April 2003, the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) launched Phase II of its Ecological Fiscal Reform (EFR) program. The objective of Phase II is to “develop and promote fiscal policy that consistently and systematically reduces energy-based carbon emissions in Canada, both in absolute terms and as a ratio of GDP, without increasing other pollutants”. This report provides a qualitative analysis the possible macroeconomic impacts of fiscal policies arising out of three case studies prepared for the NRTEE seeking to promote long-term “decarbonisation” through increased use of hydrogen, energy efficiency and renewable power. The findings of this study will be incorporated into the NRTEE’s final State of the Debate report.

Achieving the necessary scale of emissions reductions in the future will require a multi-faceted policy effort to support a broad array of technological and behavioral changes. This paper outlines some core principles for guiding the design of clean technology policies, with a focus on energy.

This report provides an overview of the current state of indicator use and development in Canada and around the world, as relates to land and soils. It serves to initiate discussions on what small set of lands and soils indicators would be appropriate for Canada.

The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE), through its “Conservation of Natural Heritage” program, is exploring the status of conservation and identifying key challenges and opportunities at the national level in Canada. Through its Conserving Canada’s Natural Capital: the Boreal Forest” program, NRTEE is examining how to advance conservation on the working boreal forest landscape. The Abitibi region case study is one of three conducted across the Boreal Forest in Canada.

This report summarizes and analyzes a series of four workshops held in February and March of 2011. The workshops were held in Penticton (BC), Edmonton (AB), Sydney (NS), and Sherbrooke (QC), with the aim of obtaining governmental and stakeholder input on the topic of collaborative water governance, particularly as it relates to the natural resource sectors and ongoing water policy change at the provincial scale.

The purpose of this paper is to clarify and develop the basic program idea for the second phase of the NRTEE’s Nature Conservation program, and to recommend options for how to focus the program in a program plan. The paper begins by clarifying the problem, or barrier, that Phase II will address. This barrier is the failure to integrate the true costs and benefits of nature into decision-making, which essentially refers to the fact that private decisions externalize many environmental costs.

The NRTEE has developed and tested decision rules for energy, waste and water intensity indicators. The work builds on the the development of principles and a framework on eco-efficiency indicators undertaken by the World Business Council on Sustainable Development and on a previous Feasibility Study by the NRTEE. The program focussed on translating the WBCSD principles and framework into the specific definitions and rules for the resource and material productivity elements of eco-efficiency and testing them for the standard applicability across business sectors. The indicators address two elements of eco-efficiency that are within the direct responsibility of a company. They do not address the issue of consumption.

This report explores the feasability of using specific fiscal instruments to accelerate or enhance the reduction of air pollution emissions from heavy duty diesel engines in surface vehicles in Canada, including trucks, both on-road and off-road, and transit buses. The set of instruments selected are in two groups: Those affecting engines and those affecting fuels. The instruments that might induce the production and purchase of cleaner engines or the retrofit of cleaner technology on existing engines are a fee/rebate, tax credit, and an accelerated capital cost allowance. Those that might accelerate the introduction of low sulphur fuel or increase the extent of sulphur removal are differential taxes on diesel fuel based on sulphur content and ACCA for refineries investing in sulphur removal.

With some exceptions, this review focuses on transportation in Canada’s 27 largest urban regions and does not provide an international perspective. It may nevertheless be worth noting that Canada—founded in part on a transport concept, a railway from coast to coast—continues to be among the affluent countries that are the most dependent on transportation. Before and after Confederation, Canadians’ well-being has been highly dependent upon low-cost, effective movement of people and freight. Canada’s communities are widely scattered, and international trade comprises a high and growing share of her economy. Thus, more than in most affluent countries, Canada’s governments and agencies have good reason to focus on transportation issues, particularly in urban areas, where most people live, and where most of the movement of people occurs and much of the movement of freight. The review touches on the economic importance of transportation, but the presentation of bald numbers under estimates its significance. The reality is that life as we know it could not occur without good transportation. Much the same could be said for transportation’s social importance, although this is harder to document.

The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy’s (NRTEE) Environment Sustainable Development Indicators (ESDI) initiative is a three-year multistakeholder program that will develop a national set of environment and sustainable development indicators. The ESDI Steering Committee wishes to consider an indicator that monitors the stock and/or health status of Canada’s wetlands as part of the core set of indicators.

Canada lags the leading G8 nations, in particular the large European countries. France, Germany and the United Kingdom are best positioned to harness the potential of a low carbon transition. Canada lags the leaders by a significant overall margin, but does score well in a few select performance areas. Canada is at an inflection point – it needs to adopt a bold vision of its low-carbon future and to define a comprehensive strategy. There can be no cookie-cutter approach to achieving success across the identified areas of low-carbon performance. Canada will need to design its own path, blending policy drivers with action from business and other actors.

This paper outlines the NRTEE's Project on Linking Environmental Quality to Competitiveness including the hypothesis behind the project, perceived challenges, and the methodology and framework of the project.

Agriculture, terrestrial, and costal ecosystems all contain natural resources that are vital to the Canadian economy. The Second IPCC Assessment on Climate Change identified three sectors in Canada that are particularly vulnerable to climate change: agriculture and aquaculture, forestry, and fresh water resources. Projected changes in climate are expected to bring a range of challenges and benefits to Canada as our economic and social well-being is greatly influenced by the health and sustainability of these resources.1 In 2007, the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries generated approximately 2% of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product2, and accounted for approximately 3% of total employment. However, these numbers may be slightly misleading, both because the resources supplied by these industries have a multiplied effect on productivity in Canada's manufacturing, heavy industries, and service industries, as well as the obviously vital importance of affordable food and clean drinking water for all Canadian citizens. Given this, this section considers the implications of climate change on a wide range of socio economic variables across these sectors.

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate a conservation cover incentive program as one of a suite of potential fiscal instruments to aid in increasing the ecological integrity of the agricultural landscapes of Canada. To this end the study will attempt to quantify the benefits and costs attributable to converting annual crop land to perennial vegetative cover that is no longer used for agricultural purposes.

This document is a point-form compilation of federal policy instruments related to urban planning and sustainability, starting with the Canada Lands Company, but including a full range of other instruments.

The approach for this study was to examine the Canada-Wide Standards (CWS) process for PM and ozone to identify lessons learned to date, which could be applied to establish medium (2015 to 2025) and long-term (to 2050) objectives and numerical targets for managing air quality in Canada. This report synthesizes the findings from face-to-face and telephone consultations as well as a review of literature sources. A total of 54 Canadian Federal and Provincial/Territorial 2 government health and environment managers, as well as stakeholders engaged in the CWS process were interviewed. Another component of this study was to analyze the management approach for PM and ozone in the United States, European Union and Australia. Input for this component of the analysis was obtained from literature and telephone interviews of government environmental managers in these countries.

The NRTEE has retained ÉcoRessources Consultants in order to: 1) explore the types of market barriers and market failures that may be impeding low-carbon emission technology deployment; 2) evaluate the degree to which the theoretical market penetration rates provided in the Nyboer study for certain key technologies are realistic and provide a ‘ground-truthing’ of the predictions found in the study; and 3) provide guidance in the development of technology deployment policy to complement carbon pricing policy.